Lines in the Sand
by sidm402
Summary: In order to bring peace back to his war ravaged nation, the future Fire Lord is arranged to marry the Princess of the Southern Water Tribe.
1. one

the wedding,

**prologue:**

It was said that in the beginning the fire god Agni once roamed the universe looking for a place to call his home. When he came upon earth and saw that it was dark, he carved out one of his own eyes, reached out into the sky and placed it amongst the shadows to light his new home. He called it the sun. Once there was light, man came to Agni and praised him, for they had been living without seeing for so long, and were so grateful for beacon of warmth and illumination. For their praise the god Agni bestowed upon them great power, so that nevermore would they have to live in darkness. But man did not know how to use these gifts, so the god Agni created beasts of fire to guide and teach them what he could not. This is how fire benders came to be.

It was said that once the earth was blessed with the lights of the god Agni, man, so accustomed to living in darkness, could no longer sleep peacefully. The spirits Tui and La noticed this, and together carved their hearts to join as one. They placed it up into the sky, above the oceans and declared that when each day ended, the sun would fall, and the moon would rise for the night. Man then came to Tui and La and praised them, for they had been living without rest for so long. For their praise Tui and La bestowed upon them great power, so that when the moon rose they would be able to control water by watching the ocean tides push and pull. This is how water benders came to be.

The fire god Agni was unhappy at what Tui and La had done. He declared that from that day forward those with the power of sun and light would never seek peace from those who controlled water and ice. That the two would forever be locked in an unending and battle, for water and fire were natural enemies. And from that day forward, it was so.

When the fire nation first began its expansion under Fire Lord Ozai's rule, the world was thrown into chaos. Fire Lord Ozai rained terror down on the people, slaughtering entire cities and reclaiming them in the Firenations image. The only person with enough power to defeat him was the Avatar, a young air bender named Aang. Despite his youth, and lack of training the Avatar was successful in dethroning Fire lord Ozai, and in turn placed Ozai's estranged brother Iroh, temporarily in charge of the Fire nation's affairs. However, the rightful heir to the throne, Zuko, would be set to claim the title within the next year. Despite the fact that Iroh and Zuko had been radically against Ozai's rule, the earth kingdom was not convinced and required extra precaution to prove the Fire nations good intentions.

This is where we currently find ourselves.

"How do I look?"

The bodice of her cheongsam was snug fitting and the pale gold pattern of the dress complemented her tan skin nicely. The high collar made her naturally slender neck look even more regal and graceful, and through the nearly thigh high slits on the sides just enough leg was showcased to make Katara blush a deep cherry red. The gown ended just at her ankles, hovering over the tips of her slipper incased feet. She had never in her life shown this much skin and hadn't at all anticipated being married in such a revealing dress. But Fire nation customs, she had quickly come to realize, were much different than in the Water nation, and dutifully, she had adjusted.

"You look beautiful Princess, as the future fire lady should. " Her handmaiden Meifen, reassured her gently, winding her long damp mane of inky black hair up into the traditional fire nation topknot. "As I am sure your mother did on her wedding day. She would be very proud to see you now."

Katara smiled at that, rubbing the hollow junction of her neck where her mother's necklace usually rested it, before remembering that she had removed it in anticipation of the ceremony. "Your words are too kind." Stark lines of kohl rimmed her wide cerulean eyes and she gazed at her complexion in the mirror, half hoping to see a shred of her mother's fierceness and courage shine back at her. She looked pretty; smooth, olive skin powdered to perfection, the dark ruby of her plump lips and the starkness of her well-groomed eyebrows. Her normally untamable hair was sleek and polished up in an elegant braided chignon, a single golden circlet rested daintily on the crown of her head. Pretty enough to be fire lady.

Hopefully, pretty enough to please her husband.

She had never seen Prince Zuko before. He hadn't come to negotiate the marriage treaty with her father, or to greet her when her ship had docked last week. According to fire nation custom, it was tradition for the groom to not meet his intended until the actual wedding ceremony. She had heard stories of him though. He was said to be very handsome, tall and strong. The people admired him for the good he was doing, the good he had already done. Rebuilding the earth kingdom, resettling the fire nation colonies, making peace with the monks and the water tribes. Seeking redemption for his father's crimes.

When her own father, Hakoda, had first approached her with the arrangement, Katara had cried herself to sleep every night for a full week. But it was her duty, as a daughter to the chief, as a princess to her people, to do whatever she could to make things better, so she accepted.

Getting married in his armor seemed vaguely ridiculous in hindsight, but the monks had been incredibly serious about following the old traditions during this marriage. The idea of a mixed nation marriage wasn't unheard of, but it never, ever happened amongst royalty, for fear of sullying the royal bloodline. But times of war called for drastic measures, and Zuko had convinced them, after months of back and forth, that this would be the best way to persuade the other nations of his good intentions.

Adjusting the crown from where it sat, nestled in his hair, Prince Zuko sighed tiredly at his exhausted reflection. Pledging himself to an unknown woman in an unbreakable marriage had seemed like a much better idea last week, when his approval ratings were in the low thirties and he'd been receiving more death threats than letters of encouragement.

At twenty-two, he was going to be the youngest Firelord in the history of the nation with more responsibility on his shoulders than he readily knew how to handle. Uncle Iroh had been steadily coaching him on how to lead, and would become his official advisor after the coronation, but Uncle Iroh couldn't fight all of his battles for him. It wasn't fair.

A lot of things weren't fair, he supposed.

Someone wrapped gently on the door to his bedroom and he let out a soft grunt of displeasure and mildly said, "Come in." setting himself down stiffly at the edge of his desk. He'd sent all his attendants away an hour ago, so he could pace in relative peace, and sanctuary.

It was his uncle of course at the door, shuffling in with a wide grin on his wrinkled, kind face and a bowl of something fragrant and steaming in his hands.

"Could you be anymore cheerful, uncle?"

"It is not everyday my only nephew gets married." He handed Zuko the bowl "Drink this. You need to wake up, my boy, or you'll fall asleep during your own wedding."

It tasted foul, but Zuko downed it anyway, in one large gulp, shivering as it slid down his throat like an eel, to curl in his belly. Uncle patted his back gently in comfort.

"Is everything ready?" Zuko half hoped that she'd gotten cold feet, the girl, Katara. Maybe she had decided that she didn't want to do this, that she wasn't ready. Maybe they could work out some other peace treaty, or at least have a little more time, but at the somber look on Irohs face, Zuko knew that was not the case. He poured half a glass of amber liquid from a bottle that rested ontop his desk and downed that too.

"Tea was meant to calm your nerves. That whiskey will undo all the good it might have done."

"Then let it." Zuko poured himself another glass. "If I'm lucky I'll wake up tomorrow morning and not remember a thing."


	2. two

the reception,

The ceremony had been very, very perfect.

Usually in Fire nation tradition, there is not a formal procedure. Simply the correct documents are presented and there is an alteration in the family registries. However, a marriage in the royal family is much more celebrated and far more intricate.

It had begun at dawn, when they had paid respect to the gods and their ancestors at a very beautiful temple located on the palace grounds, in front of only their families, before exchanging bows and cups of _sake. _Then a ride throughout the city on two luxurious paladins, and a brief introduction of Katara to the Fire nation people in the form of a festival. Afterward of course, the banquet began.

The tight knot of nerves Katara had been feeling in her chest all day, finally loosened with her first sip of dandelion wine. After the kanpai, or the toasts, she'd been permitted to change out of her cheongsam, into a much less restrictive formal Kimono, as was custom in the Water nation, and she felt much more comfortable now, seated beside her new husband at the head of the table.

It was quite a relief to be finished with the ceremony and officially married to Prince Zuko, who had been surprisingly more kind than she'd expected. He was as handsome as the rumors told. Tall, with a warriors build and a Princes' aristocratic face: he was gruff, but gentle when he spoke to her, and had compassionate golden eyes, that seemed to have seen their fare share of sadness and had an air of sorrow about them. And he was more thoughtful than she had anticipated, gazing at the burgeoning celebration below them with a far off look in his eyes.

"I hope all is well, my Fire Lord." Katara told him gently, before taking another sip from her glass and resting it back on the table. "The keen look in your eyes suggests something is wrong." She prided herself on the ease in her tone, formal enough to be respectful, yet still casusal, a polite nod to their marriage.

Price Zuko shook his head slightly and gave her a weary, yet comforting smile. "Nothing wrong, just curious I suppose. Sometimes I do not know how we find ourselves in such strange circumstances. Tonight, I believe, is an example of that." He drummed his fingers against the arm of his chair and turned his gaze back to their guests, pensive and distrustful.

"Our nuptial is a strange circumstance to you then?" It was sometimes, very confusing to understand the language of a fire nation citizen. Katara could never tell if someone was simply answering her, or laughing in her face. So craftily did a fire bender use their words, if they had burned you, you'd probably ended up asking them for it.

"Nothing stranger has ever occurred to me. Though once, I did hear about a fish in the village of Naypuro that could dance and sing." He laughed a bit to himself at that and polished off the remaining wine in his glass. "Perhaps that was a bit more odd than this."

Katara directed her gaze away from her husband and back out to the floor. She watched her older brother Sokka, the heir to their tribe, laugh at something one of the generals was saying to him, and clap a friendly hand to the other mans shoulder, face relaxed and unguarded. Zukos younger sister, Princess Azula slinks around the edges of the crowd, batting her feather lashes at water tribe leaders.

"I think I understand what you mean. I have much admiration for my nation, and its people, but I am not blind to our own faults. It is. . . .quite startling to think the simplicity of our union maybe all it takes to end such an intense feud. And perhaps a little naïve. If I may be so frank."

Zuko acknowledge her words with an incline of his head and a slight frown. "I wish I didn't agree."

The most important duty of the Fire Lady is providing an heir to the throne. Normally there is a five-year period in which the Fire Lady must produce a son, before the Fire Lord in permitted to ask for an annulment. In times of strife this grace period is reduced to three years.

They consummate the marriage the first night, as tradition dictates.

It is not pleasant at all, but Katara concentrates very soundly on making sure her new husband enjoys himself, as girls are instructed in the Water Tribes. Its all very awkward, his weight pressing heavily on top of her, fumbling wide warm hands, and sharp pain that brings water to her eyes, and makes her voice lock in her throat. She does her best not to let him see, turning her head and letting hair slip over her wet eyes. And it must work to, because after he is finished, he lays beside her, panting heavily into the crook of her neck, one hand tangled in her hair. She feels a sting of pride at that, his vulnerability.

"That was. . . are you. . .was that okay for you?" And she smiles lightly and smoothes the crease away from his brow with the pads of her fingers. She feels sentimental, a loss of something that hadn't really been hers to begin with.

"It is kind of you to worry." 

"This isn't how I wanted things to be."

"This is how they are Zuko. It was never going to be simple for either of us. Those born under duty cannot live a life without strife." She tells him tiredly, threading her delicate hands through his shag of ink colored hair, pushing it back from his face so that she can meet his eyes with her own. "Rest now. This talk is far too serious for our bed."

"It shouldn't have to be like this. This isn't what I want for our children. A life with no choices, a life of responsibility of duty and honor." He continues as if she hadn't spoken, looking earnest and sad all at once.

She cups his cheek with her palm and places a warm, soft kiss against the corner of his full mouth. His gaze is very soft when he looks at her, and she feels a tiny flutter in her chest. "Hopefully they wont have to."


End file.
